Collegiata di Saint-Gilles (Prevostura e chiesa parrocchiale)

The collegiate church of Saint-Gilles in Verrès grew from a community of canons documented around 1050. Its complex includes convent buildings, a bell tower rebuilt under the Challant family in the early sixteenth century and a parish church constructed between 1776 and 1797.

Why it matters

The provostship of Saint-Gilles was one of the major religious institutions of the Aosta Valley. Its surviving buildings bring together monastic, noble and parish history, including a Gothic family chapel associated with Ibleto di Challant and the later parish church.

What to notice

The exposed-stone convent buildings and tall bell tower reflect the rebuilding begun in 1512 under provost Carlo di Challant. The Chapel of Saints George and Maurice, commissioned by Ibleto di Challant in 1407, preserves a carved stone trifora and Gothic sail vaults within the later complex. The parish nave belongs to the late eighteenth century.

Context and history

Tradition assigns the foundation to the tenth century, but documentary evidence for the canons begins around 1050. A papal bull of 1207 confirms their Augustinian rule. The Challant family gained influence over the provostship in the later fourteenth century, and rebuilding began in 1512. The community was suppressed in 1802 after Napoleon stayed at the convent in 1800; the church complex was restored in 1816. In 1911 the provostship was united with the Lateran Canons.